


strength in numbers

by Wahmenitu



Series: dimension [14]
Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Daredevil (TV), Deadpool - All Media Types, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), Winter Soldier (Comics)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Miles graduating from baby vigilante to full vigilante, Multiverse Shenanigans, Team Bonding, Team Dynamics, Team Red, Wade is a Damsel in Distress, nothing extreme, until he's not
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:33:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25097677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wahmenitu/pseuds/Wahmenitu
Summary: Who in their right mind would capture Deadpool, of all people?Wade was like, untouchable.Immortal. Unmoving. Indomitable.(Wade has been captured. Miles sets out with Wade's team to rescue him, makes some new friends along the way, and reaches out to some old ones.)
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, Matt Murdock/Franklin "Foggy" Nelson, matt murdock & wade wilson & miles morales
Series: dimension [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1550974
Comments: 102
Kudos: 187





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hey friends!! buckle up because I actually plotted this one out!
> 
> i don't expect it to be super long, but there is an end in sight instead of my usual open-ended shenanigans.
> 
> Miles is a kid, but as he gets older I want him to be viewed not just as "the baby/new Spiderman on the team" but as an individual entity with hella to contribute.

Things were changing now.

Where before Miles would meet up for instruction time or running the streets, nights were now spent on jobs or raids. Matt or Wade would text or call him, ask if he was free on a certain night at a certain time. They could use his help, they’d say. Use a little back up.

It felt like they were really, truly starting to trust him like they’d trusted Peter.

It felt less like they were under some sort of obligation to help him and more like they were friends.

Equals.

It felt good.

When he turned fifteen, Wade tried to give him a knife for his birthday.

Miles figured it was probably a joke, but Daredevil wasted no time in snatching it from Wade’s outstretched hand and hurling it into the Hudson.

Miles couldn’t even see the splash.

Man coulda pitched for the Mets if he wanted.

Matt was uninterested in this assessment. He was only interested in a basement full of Russians in the laundromat two blocks over.

Wade relented, and after wishing Miles a happy birthday, they were off to work.

  
  
  
  
  


Miles had a standing reservation of family dinner on Friday evenings. His mama and his dad asked about his week, first about school and then, as subtle as they could manage, about his Spider-related activities.

Which was not subtle at all.

It involved a lot of awkward silences and pointed glances between his mother and father while Miles simply waited for them to spit it out.

It wasn’t like it was any big secret anymore.

“When in doubt, let them sweat it out,” Matt had told him once.

He didn’t think he meant for him to use it against his own parents, sure, but Matt hadn’t said _not_ to, either.

Eventually, they would relent and ask. His mother was much more interested in Matt and Wade- what they were teaching him and when and why- while his father was interested in the petty crime he was stopping and where it was occurring.

Miles guessed pretty early on that if his dad thought if he could get enough patrols going in problem spots, his son wouldn’t feel the need to continue with the Spiderman thing.

It was a sweet thought, but a pipe dream.

The city needed him.

Miles had tried to skip a few dinners once, but once Wade and Matt had found out what his usual Friday night plans were, they told him in no uncertain terms that they expected him to continue the tradition.

They had other contacts, other people they could reach out to if they needed to.

They thought it was important for Miles to have and keep this connection to his family. The more support he had, they said, the better.

Peter had spread himself too thin, between work and school and his wife and his aunt, until Spiderman began to bleed into every aspect of his life. It wasn’t healthy. It wasn’t sustainable. And they were going to keep Miles from bouncing in the guy’s footsteps if they could help it.

They said it respectfully, but Miles still swung by the church to apologize sheepishly to Peter Parker’s grave.

It was rough, man.

  
  
  
  
  


Matt called them up about more Russians on a Saturday night.

Plans with Ganke had fallen through anyways, so Miles was itching to get some energy out. He confirmed the meeting time and location and went to get himself into the suit.

He bid his mother and father goodbye, promising he wouldn’t be out late, before slipping out of his bedroom window.

It was starting to get cooler again.

The night wind felt good against his suit. He pulled his mask up just enough to feel it against his cheeks, too, as he swung through Brooklyn and towards the Kitchen.

If he didn’t feel so guilty about all the people he could be helping, Miles might have been content with just the web slinging.

Too bad superpowers seemed to come with anxiety.

That part kinda sucked.

Plus the crippling guilt.

That part _really_ sucked.

When he arrived, Matt and Wade were already waiting on the roof for him. Though Wade was brushing himself off like he’d just arrived.

“Hey, kiddo,” Matt greeted, inclining his head slightly in acknowledgement, but he remained in his crouch. His head was tipped towards the street below. Listening, Miles knew, to their marks.

“How many, Red?” Wade asked as he rolled his shoulders and swung his arms back and forth.

Miles bounced on his toes a little as Matt’s head swayed like a snake.

“Twenty. Not big- but top brass. Miles will breach the doors and then get the fuck up high- Wade, you in first.”

“Oh goodie,” Wade cooed, unsheathing a katana from his back while patting the barrel of his gun against his thigh with the opposite hand.

“No casualties. Big one’s mine, you’ll know him when you see him.”

“On your mark, Red.”

Matt’s teeth gleamed with his manic grin.

“Let’s go.”

  
  
  
  
  


There was always the briefest of moments, Miles noticed.

He put a big dent in the door first, before rearing back to take it completely off of its hinges.

Inside, he knew, they were expecting a big fucker.

Like, Wade or Frank Castle-sized.

They did not expect a tiny, spindly Spiderman lifting his hand for a wave before winking out of existence entirely.

He really loved the camouflage thing.

With his element of surprise he threw himself to the ceiling, scuttling away just as Wade hit the entrance and all hell broke loose.

Anyone else they’d try and intimidate.

But everyone knew exactly who the fuck Wade Wilson was and what a waste of time it would be trying to talk to him.

Even now, with months of working with them under his belt, watching Wade and Matt fight was something else. They worked so seamlessly, ducking and rolling and crouching to give each other boosts. Wade would swing his sword through the air and the Devil would follow the arc of the blade. No chance to rest, no chance to recover. It was a brutal, ruthless efficiency that Miles was sure he would never fully grasp.

The one time he’d watched Spiderman fight, after all, there had been a lot of breaks for chatter. Peter had been a talker, always trying to appeal to a person’s inner good.

Maybe it was a product of the spider bite, maybe it wasn’t, but the Devil and Deadpool didn’t give second chances.

The last man standing, a big fucker nearly the size of Wilson Fisk, brought a gun up just as Matt and Wade reached him.

Wade didn’t even hesitate, getting a hand around the barrel and losing two fingers when the man fired anyways. But it was enough of an opening for Matt, who went straight for the knees.

Miles crept down when he was positive it was safe, making sure he was seen and heard as he approached Wade and Matt, who was on the phone with police while Wade was rolling his eyes back and forth to show his opinion on this.

“Same time tomorrow?” Miles asked, although he doubted it. Matt took Sundays and Wednesdays off now, Sundays were for church and Wednesdays were for Foggy. Wade was already shaking his head.

“Off on a job tomorrow, kiddo. I’ll be back in three days,” he explained, holding the three fingers remaining on his left hand up, waggling them in Miles’ direction.

Miles didn’t think much of it. Wade never told them when he’d be coming or going or how long he’d be, typically. Usually because he just didn’t know. A job took however long it took. Miles guessed he just wanted to take advantage of making a joke with his lost appendages.

He wished later that he had read into it more.

Wade, as a rule, did not discuss his jobs around them. Mainly out of respect for Miles’ and Matt’s philosophies on human life.

Once in a while he’d tell them a funny story, like about the time a client had tried to pay him in gift cards. But other than that, he kept his mouth shut.

They left the warehouse when Matt announced that the cops were three blocks away and parted for the night.

“Three days,” Miles repeated with a wave at Wade, who flashed him a thumbs up.

“Happy birthday, Miles,” Matt spoke with an awkward arm around his shoulders, patting his back before he was gone, too.

And like.

He was trying.

So it counted.

  
  
  
  
  


When Wade wasn’t home on Wednesday, Miles didn’t worry about it. His jobs often ran over or ran short, and he’d let them know when he was back in town.

Miles ran his patrols alone with a few, brief visits to the Kitchen, and was back in his dorm bed by two every night.

On Thursday, as he walked out of the Visions building with Ganke at his side, he knew something was wrong.

Because there, on the sidewalk, was the friendliest, warmest vigilante slash assassin Miles had ever met in his life.

Domino had a strange little smile on her face as Miles jogged over to greet her.

She’d at least swapped out her black leather for civilian clothes.

“Hey, kiddo. Long time no see. Heard you’re fifteen now?” was her greeting as she wrapped him in a warm hug. Ganke gaped openly, but Domino barely glanced his way.

“That’s right- this past Sunday,” Miles confirmed, before looking up at her to try and meet her eyes. “What’s wrong?”

  
Domino chewed on this question for a moment, considering. But she wouldn’t have come here if it weren’t something significant. She wouldn’t have risked outing him as a superhero, even if she was less recognizable than Deadpool or Daredevil.

“Wade isn’t answering my messages,” she relented finally. “Usually I wouldn’t be too worried, but we were supposed to meet up to get a job hashed out four hours ago. He doesn’t skimp on stuff like that.”

Miles felt his throat constricting, and he tried to swallow past it.

“He hasn’t been answering in our group chat, either,” he admitted.

Wade, though?

Who in their right mind would capture Deadpool, of all people?

Wade was like, untouchable.

Immortal.

Unmoving.

Indomitable.

Domino blew out a breath and tipped her golden eyes to the sky, thinking.

“Guess I’ll pay him a visit, then.”

“I’m going with you,” Miles decided immediately, and she looked down at him again.

Assessing his resolve, Miles thought.

After a beat, she nodded.

“Okay, let’s go.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What we need is a spy,” she decides.
> 
> And like.
> 
> Okay.
> 
>   
> But neither of them are spies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am having a bad week!
> 
> and because I do not have exclusive rights to corporate bullshit, I thought other people might be having a bad week, too!
> 
> so have this chapter and let's have a good rest of the week!

On the way to Wade’s apartment, Domino abruptly stops.

“Hey, there’s another one on your team, isn’t there?”

Miles pauses, assessing. His silence is answer enough for someone like Domino.

“The Devil?” she guesses, and Miles’ shoulders sag.

“Yeah, he’s the third,” he admits, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“I need to talk to him, too, then. He’s known Wade nearly as long as I have. Maybe he got a message from him,” Domino muses, pulling out her phone in a familiar gesture. She’d been checking it every thirty seconds since they’d started walking. Waiting for a message from Wade they both knew wasn’t coming.

“Okay,” Miles replies, but squares his shoulders. “But I’ll set up the meeting. DD trusted me with his identity. I’m not giving that away.”

Domino’s smile is soft and understanding. She is _easily_ the most rational vigilante he’s ever met aside from Peter B.

“Sure. Here, give me your phone,” she makes a grabby hand gesture in his direction. Miles hands it over without a fuss, and she taps at the screen for a moment. When she hands it back to him, her contact name and number have been entered.

Huh.

Neena.

“You can still call me Domino, honey,” she winks. “I’m gonna make a few calls before we bust into the apartment. I gotta see if Cable’s around and if he’s not, when he can get his ass into the city. You set up the meeting. Send me a time and place, and I’ll be there,” she promises. She gives him one last thing, a soft squeeze on the shoulder, before she’s setting off down the street again. The crowd parts easily, almost subconsciously, for her.

Luck is a weird power.

  
  
  
  
  


Matt agrees to the meeting without issue, which tells Miles everything he needs to know about how serious this situation really is.

Matt does not play well with others. Miles is sure that would have been printed in every report card ever sent home. He is positive the nuns would have made him print or type it or said prayers about it, or whatever they did in Catholic orphanages as punishments.

But Matt agrees to meet with Domino and possibly Cable, and sends Miles back to school to get his suit.

Matt hasn’t heard from Wade, either.

  
  
  
  
  


They agree to meet on the roof of a Chinese restaurant.

Matt is already there when Miles arrives, patting the roof and murmuring to it fondly.

Miles has no idea what that’s about, but from the mumbles he can guess it has something to do with the Defenders. He doesn’t ask.

Domino touches down just five minutes later at ten o’clock on the dot. It’s early for vigilantes like him and Matt, but the situation calls for it.

Miles has to hold back a sigh at the way Domino lights up upon seeing Matt.

“Devil,” she cooes, and he straightens immediately, wary.

“I haven’t heard from Wade,” he replies automatically, ignoring her wriggling and skipping straight to the point. He’s even skipped the Daredevil growl. Matt’s using his lawyer voice. Simple, straight forwards, just a little bit of sway in his voice.

Domino sobers, and her hands drop to her sides. “I was afraid you were going to say that.”

“So we’re breaking into his apartment?” Miles asks, cocking his head.

“Seems that way… might as well. It’s about time you learned to pick a lock.”

The Spidey Sense shivers at Matt’s dangerous smile.

  
  
  
  
  


Matt spends ten minutes fiddling with the lock before it falls open for him. Miles can hear the definitive click.

In the back of his mind, Miles thinks they should have just let Domino do it. He has a feeling the door would just open if someone like Domino asked it to. But Domino is too busy admiring the breadth of Matt’s shoulders to be of any real help, and trying to stop Matt from doing a task he’s decided needs to be done is impossible.

The door swings open and they all dive out of the way in unspoken agreement.

There’s a beat, before Matt edges closer from where he’s pressed against the wall of the hallway.

“I can go in first?” Domino offers, like a psycho.

“If there were traps, would you even set them off?” Matt challenges, and Domino concedes this point with a nod. Matt spreads a hand in Miles’ direction before he can even offer to go first.

“Forget it, kid,” he warns, before stepping over the threshold.

Nothing.

Either Wade’s not as paranoid as he makes himself out to be, or there hasn’t been anyone stupid enough to try breaking into Deadpool’s apartment.

Or like, a hundred other reasons.

“Smells normal,” Matt offers, turning his head slowly one way and then the other. “Sounds normal. Feels normal.”

“No sign of a struggle,” Domino agrees, walking towards Wade’s bedroom with a fearlessness even Matt is wary of.

Miles takes the opportunity to look around Wade’s apartment.

Like, really look.

Every time he’s been here previously he’s been injured, or Matt’s been injured and required supervision. Once in a while it’s Wade injured, but all they can do is get him as comfortable as possible and then leave to let him watch Hello Kitty in peace.

Now, Miles wanders into the kitchen.

The fridge is covered in pictures and polaroids. The same man and woman feature in every single one. Most times together, sometimes alone. It takes Miles a minute but with a start, he realizes this is Wade before his mutation.

That means the woman in these photos is Vanessa, his dead fiance.

She’s beautiful.

She’s got the same mischief in her eyes that Wade has.

They looked so happy.

There’s colorful kitchenware and a stack of cookbooks crammed on the counter.

Strange paintings lovingly thrifted hang straight on the walls.

The beginning of backsplash being applied to the kitchen counters. It stops halfway across.

Miles leaves the kitchen.

  
  
  
  
  


He finds Domino and Matt in Wade’s bedroom in deep conversation, sitting in front of Wade’s open laptop. It’s password protected, of course, and Domino is just hitting enter on another guess with a frustrated sound.

“Isn’t this like, your thing?” Matt asks.

“It doesn’t really work like that… not with this kind of stuff,” she replies, gazing forlornly at the computer in front of her. There’s a reason Wade is one of the best in the biz, and guessing at a random password isn’t going to crack one of the world’s greatest assassins.

“What about the big guy? Uh, Cable?” Miles asks, making his way over.

“He’s in Greenland- can’t get back here right away. Three days, he said,” Domino explains with a sigh, pressing her cheek into her hand and gazing at the screen. Maybe she’s trying to ask it nicely with her mind. “Do you guys know anyone?”

Matt makes a noise and shakes his head. None of the Defenders are really the “hacking” type.

Everyone that Miles knows he knows through Matt or Wade, so the question is moot for him.

There’s a long moment of silence where they all consider their options.

“Jessica… _might_ be able to figure something out…” Matt offers, uncertain. But even he knows that would be a stretch.

Domino hums, thoughtful. Considering.

“What we need is a spy,” she decides.

And like.

Okay.

But neither of them are spies.

And neither of them know any spies.

Wade suspects that DD has some kind of affiliation with the Widow, but neither of them have been able to confirm it yet.

Domino hums again, before a slow smile begins to creep onto her face. She spins in the computer chair and pins Miles to the floor with a look.

He hates it immediately.

“You live in Brooklyn, right?”

No.

“You do,” she insists.

No ma’am. Never set foot there in my life.

“I have a contact who lives there, too,” she folds her hands in her lap and smiles at Miles again. “I bet if you found him, he would help us.”

Miles heaves a sigh.

It’s for Wade, he reminds himself.

Wade would be tearing the city apart if it were Miles missing.

He can do this for Wade.

“Do you know his address?” he asks, resigned.

“Nope,” Domino replies, popping the ‘p.’

Okay, great. Super helpful.

“But I know the block he walks a lot. You’re bound to catch him during the day. He’s super recognizable,” she promises.

That’s a little better, but still not helpful.

“What’s his name?” Miles asks, reluctant.

“Bucky Barnes,” she replied with a totally innocent smile. “You might know him as the Winter Soldier?”

  
Because of _course._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bucky bucky bucky
> 
> 3rd human disaster incoming. let me know what you think so far!
> 
> wahmenitu.tumblr.com


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He was thinking the Winter Soldier might be a little more high profile.
> 
> Then Miles passes another alley and has to double back.
> 
> And really.
> 
> He should have known.
> 
> If someone was associated with Domino or Wade, they had to err on the side of occasionally feral.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> enter: Bucky Barnes, plus friends.

Domino gives him a few street names to roll through tomorrow and tells him to go home.

Matt puts a rope-wrapped hand on the back of his neck and also tells him to go home. Get some rest, to start again tomorrow.

And like, he gets it.

But it’s hard to justify sleeping and taking his time when he knows Wade is out there somewhere, counting on them to find him.

But he’s exhausted and a little scared, so he goes home. Crawls back through his dorm window and curls up under his blanket. Ganke reads the silence for what it is and shuts down his computer for the night.

He’s the best roommate.

Friday morning, Miles puts the suit back on and asks Ganke to cover for him.

He looks way too serious when he agrees and grips Miles’ hand.

“I will do this thing,” he whispered fiercely, before heading out.

And like, okay.

That’s a thing that’s happening now.

Still, Ganke has been keeping his secrets for months. He’s a great friend and a great ally. Miles trusts him to keep his mouth shut when necessary, so he doesn’t think twice when he sneaks out the window and swings the few blocks up. It’s not so far from his house, actually.

  
  
  
  
  


Miles should have known that Bucky Barnes wasn’t going to just be waiting around on the street for him.

He paces the walls and streets Domino had rattled off the previous night, parallel to the ground on the side of a building. Bucky’s not in any of the corner stores, he’s not in line at the Starbucks. He’s nowhere to be seen in the Whole Foods, and he’s not surrounded by fans begging for an autograph.

He was thinking the Winter Soldier might be a little more high profile.

Then Miles passes another alley and has to double back.

And really.

He should have known.

If someone was associated with Domino or Wade, they had to err on the side of occasionally feral.

  
  
  
  
  


Miles finds Bucky Barnes crouched in an alley, squaring off against a beat up, bright orange tom cat. He’s got his dark hair pulled back in a messy bun at the nape of his neck and wears a big thermal shirt with jeans. He’s got gloves on, so Miles can’t see the gleam of his metal hand, but he knows it’s there all the same.

Bucky doesn’t acknowledge Miles’ presence at all, too focused on the cat in front of him. It’s only got half a tail, which swings back and forth slowly while it stares steadily back at Bucky, unbothered.

“Mr… Barnes? Winter Soldier, sir-”

“Bucky.”

Uh, okay.

“Mr. Bucky-”

“Just Bucky, kid,” he corrects again, not taking his eyes off the cat. It’s got a notch in its ear, too. Poor thing. But it looks well fed.

“Okay, Bucky then. My name is- er. Spiderman. I was wondering if you could help me with something?”

Bucky finally, finally tears his eyes from the cat and fixes them on Miles instead. Miles immediately wishes he would look back at the cat. The undivided attention of the Winter Soldier makes the Spidey Sense squirm up and down his spine.

“No can do,” Bucky dismisses him without hearing the request, turning his attention back to the cat. “I gotta figure out how to get Borghild home.”

Borg… hild?

“Yeah, that’s its name.”

The Winter Soldier had a cat?

“Not exactly,” Bucky sighs, blowing stray wisps of hair out of his face. “Stevie had a favorite alley cat that lived near his place in the twenties. We named it Borghild- found it in some old book. This is Borghild.”

Okay, well.

Miles could see several issues with that.

The first being that cat would have been from the fucking 20s and the second being that cat would be from the fucking 20s.

“No, this is him,” Bucky insists, unblinking.

“That’s not really possible, man,” Miles says, as gently as he dares to someone he is positive could kill him.

So could Wade, though.

Or a really determined five year old, if he’s being honest.

Bucky’s gaze swings back towards Miles and his expression is flat.

“Are you really gonna sit here and lecture me about the laws of nature and impossibilities, Spiderkid?”

Which, like.

Fair.

“I need your help,” Miles repeats when Bucky turns his attention back to the cat once again. “Someone has Wade. We think his last job was probably a trap or something- he hasn’t been able to contact us and his apartment is empty. No struggle or anything. DD can’t pick anything up. The only thing we have is his computer, but we can’t get into it. We’re not hackers.”

“We?”

“Me, Daredevil, and Domino. I think his other teammate, Cable, is gonna be around soon-”

Bucky’s eyes snap to Miles instantly, gleaming.

“Cable’s coming around?” he asks.

Nope.

Not touching that with a ten foot pole.

“Maybe,” Miles amends, crossing his arms. “But we don’t have time to wait. Will you help us?”

Bucky hums and haws over the decision, standing fluidly from his crouch. His knees pop when he does, and he rolls his shoulders.

“All right,” he replies after a moment, digging in his pocket and pulling out a twenty dollar bill. This, he slaps into Miles’ hand, closing his fingers around it. “Tell you what- you go grab some cat food or some shit- something that’ll interest my friend here. You help me get him home to Stevie, and I’ll hack your computer  _ and _ help ya get Wilson back.”

“O-oh. Um, I just think we need the computer thing-”

“Nah. I have what we’re gonna call an ‘opportunity’ here. So I’m coming with you when the time rolls around to fetch DP. Now: cat food. Tuna. Bribes. Be gone with ye.”

Yes, sir.

  
  
  
  
  


Bucky lives with Steve Rogers in a brownstone in Brooklyn.

Like, not far at all from Miles’ house.

So that’s a thing.

Another  _ thing _ is them.

Like, they’re a  _ thing _ .

Which is cool, and fine, but Miles did not expect to spend his afternoon luring a cat into Bucky’s arms so it could be brought to his boyfriend like a trophy.

Half-feral, he reminds himself.

Still not the weirdest thing he’s experienced.

Captain America opens the door, and he’s every bit as impressive in person as Miles imagined.

His hair is so  _ blond _ and his eyes are so  _ blue. _

The awe is ruined when Steve Rogers falls to his knees and extends clawed hands towards the cat.

_ “Borghild,” _ he whispers, reverently.

“Found him in an alley where that old tailor shop used to be. You remember that, Stevie?”

“He’s home,” Steve Rogers agrees, gathering the cat in his arms. It immediately starts revving up for a purr, sounding horrible and rough and Captain America practically melts. Finally, he seems to realize Bucky is not alone on the front step. “Spiderman?”

“Um, hello, sir.”

“Did you help Buck catch ‘im?”

“Yes, sir.”

“I owe you one,” Steve replies, and Miles wants to disintegrate on the spot.

_ Captain America _ owes him one.

Him.

Miles Morales.

“No you don’t,” Bucky interrupts.

Miles actually lifts a fist to hit him. He’s ruining his fucking moment.

“Wilson’s gone. His friends need me to get into his computer. So I told ‘em I’d do it and help ‘em track DP down if he helped me catch the cat,” he explains to Steve who’s nodding along with the story. “I’m gonna go do the comp now. I’ll be back in an hour or so.”

“Kay. Can you get milk on the way home?”

“Yeah.”

“All right. Love you. Thanks for the help, Spidey. Maybe I’ll see you around.”

Miles can only manage a vague, wheezing squeak in response. Steve takes that for what it is and smiles encouragingly before he shuts the door, off to build a throne for Borghild.

He just met one of his heroes.

Like, Cap is near the top of everyone’s hero list. Especially since the whole “I will fight the whole-ass government by myself” thing.

And his hero borderline worships an ugly cat that can barely purr.

Bucky sighs as he claps Miles on the shoulder. “He gets his legs tangled in the sheets and trips every morning when we get up.”

That helped.

“Lead the way, Spiderkid.”

  
  
  
  
  


Domino is still there when he arrives with Bucky. Miles assumes she’s going to be posted up in Wade’s home until he’s back around to kick her out.

It’s kind of a relief, to know Wade has other people out there on his level who are ready to step up for him.

Domino lights up the same way she did when she first saw Matt, and Miles drags his hands over his face.

If Bucky notices, he doesn’t acknowledge it, instead hunching over the computer and beginning to peck at the keys.

“You’re so pretty,” Domino coos as Bucky tosses his hair.

“S’what my man says,” he agrees easily as Domino settles herself on a chair beside him, half observing while throwing out compliments. Miles hovers nearby, uncertain. Should he leave? Should he hang around and wait?

Make tea?

Did Wade even own tea?

Miles goes to rummage in the kitchen to find that Wade did not own tea. No, he owns: a truly staggering amount of Sunny D, several bottles of vodka, tequila, and whiskey, and coffee.

And that was it.

Miles settles on making coffee because it seems fairly straightforward and he needs to  _ do something _ . Neither Domino nor Bucky try to stop him.

Also, he’s already skipping class for this shit. If his mom or dad ever found out he’d touched hard liquor, regardless of whether he was drinking it, they’d kill him.

“Thanks, Spiderkid,” Bucky nods when Miles brings him a mug, and Domino gives him a soft, warm smile when he delivers hers.

“Thank you for finding this one for me, kiddo. I appreciate it,” she murmurs to him, so sincerely it makes Miles want to cry.

He’s helping.

He’s useful.

He goes to sit and wait as patiently as he can manage.

Their mugs are nearly empty when Bucky makes a noise of triumph.

Miles bounds up from the couch, skidding to a halt on Bucky’s free side as he scans the files and emails open on the screen in front of them. Domino is cheering with her hands thrown up, and for a moment there’s a swell of hope.

They can find Wade, now.

They can help him.

  
  
  
  
  


Bucky leaves with promises from Domino that she will keep him updated, and Miles kind of hovers around the laptop until she touches his shoulder.

“You’ve done all you can for now, Miles. You still have a life outside of this, you need to live it. Let me and Cable figure this part out, and we’ll call you once we know more, okay?”

Domino’s superpower wasn’t luck.

Her superpower was sounding so calm and reasonable that it was impossible to argue with her.

“Cable will be here in two days. We’ll figure out the trail and figure out who has him. Then, we’ll figure out how we’re gonna get there and who we’re gonna take. You will be the first person I call, Miles, I promise,” she squeezes his shoulders, before she pulls him in for a hug.

He doesn’t want to cry. He’s too old for that now.

But he’s scared for Wade and he’s afraid there won’t be anything he can do to help, and Domino is so warm and  _ understanding _ that he can’t help it. He sniffles against her collar and she croons to him, rocks him from side to side in a tight hug.

It doesn’t fix everything.

But it helps.

“First person I call,” Domino repeats when she releases him, squeezing his hand.

“Okay,” Miles agrees, his voice scratchy.

And he goes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bucky and Steve are weirdos and you cannot tell me otherwise.
> 
> I love them.
> 
> wahmenitu.tumblr.com


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “If only we had more of you,” she teases, before turning back to the blueprints.
> 
> Miles sees her mouth move, but hears nothing else.
> 
> More of him.
> 
> More of him.
> 
> Fucking, duh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> enter: the Spiderverse

Five days.

Five days, and Miles receives a text from Domino.

She asks him to meet at Wade’s apartment after school lets out.

She tells him not to bring the suit.

Ganke can tell something is up because Miles fidgets his way through Spanish, Physics, and Lit.

“It’s bad?” he guesses when they have a moment in the hallway.

Yeah.

It’s bad.

When Miles does arrive at Wade’s place, he finally meets Cable. He’s a big, gruff white guy. Kind of what he expected the Winter Soldier to be. He lets Miles in without a word and shuts the door behind him. Domino is waiting for him on the couch.

He feels like he’s moving underwater.

She gives him this sad little smile and lays out what they know.

Weapon X has Wade again.

They traced the email and bank transfers back to a name Miles doesn’t recognize, but is apparently significant to Domino and Cable. Cable actually scoffs when Domino repeats it.

“He’s a big fuckin’ problem in my timeline,” he mutters by way of explanation.

Which like.

That’s something to unpack later.

Miles can’t worry about that right now.

“We think it’s a big facility up north, in Maine. But Miles- you’re going to have to sit this one out,” Domino speaks so gently that he almost nods. But he manages to catch himself at the last minute.

Whoa.

Wait.

“No, I’m going with you,” Miles protests with a furrowed brow. He’d been in on this from the beginning. He has to go. Wade needs him.

“I don’t think so, kid,” Domino replies with another shake of her head. “Weapon X is serious stuff. Big guns, big money, big everything. I think Cable and I are going to take this one with Barnes.”

Miles is already shaking his head. Under any other circumstances, he would bow to Domino’s admittedly better judgement. But not with this. Not now.

“I’m going,” Miles repeats. “Look, I’m not trying to be rude. But Wade’s my teammate, too. He’s taught me a lot. He’s saved my life like, multiple times. I owe it to him to help save him and that means that I’m going with you.”

He actually gets through it without his voice cracking.

He’s proud of himself.

He can see Domino taking a breath. She sets her shoulders back, ready to continue the argument when Cable’s metal hand lands on his shoulder.

He jumps, but only a little.

“Let the kid come,” Cable rumbles from beside him. Miles's eyes snap up to his, surprised. Even Domino looks thrown as she turns her attention to Cable.

“Nathan,” she begins, but Cable holds up a hand to stop her.

“I get what you’re saying, Dom. I don’t want him there, either. But if this kid has been runnin’ with Wade and the Devil, he’s not staying behind. He’ll find a way to get his ass to Maine and we won’t be there to help him out if it comes to it. Better he comes with us and Barnes than bops along by himself and gets shot.”

It’s only mildly horrifying to listen to, but Miles appreciates it nonetheless.

Cable is his unlikely ally in this.

Domino purses her lips, considering. When her shoulders sag, Miles knows he’s won.

“Okay,” she agrees, before fixing Miles with a look. “But it’s our plan. You do what we say. You break the chain of command, you’re out,” she warns with a finger pointed in his direction.

“Yes, ma’am,” Miles agrees with a grin, shrugging off his backpack and letting it fall to the floor.

Cable mentions that they’re just waiting for Barnes to show while Dom goes to fetch the blueprints of the facility, which means Matt’s not coming. He’s a little too human for it, a little too un-enhanced. They need to go in shooting, not swinging.

He texts Foggy to confirm. Foggy replies and tells him that Matt is currently making his feelings known by aggressively scrubbing their tub. Foggy has already recruited Karen to find them a good corruption case for Matt to sink his teeth into. They’ll keep him good and distracted, he promises Miles. He tells him to be careful, and that’s that.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Objectively, he knows this is some serious shit, but he has to fight the urge to snapchat Ganke. He wants to take a video of himself among the three vigilantes gathered around the coffee table, hunched over blueprints of the facility. This is the coolest thing he’s ever been part of. It’s like a war council.

“Big door,” Bucky comments, dragging Miles back to the subject below with a finger against the paper.

“Once we’re in, we’re gonna have to keep their attention while someone goes looking,” Cable agrees. It’s a toss up between Miles and Domino, but in the end, Bucky claps Miles on the back.

“He’s got an invisibility thing. Let him look for Wilson. Better he be out of the line of fire while we keep them busy,” he advises, and Cable nods in agreement.

“Good point,” Domino hums while flipping a few pages out of her way. She taps at the label in the corner. Third floor below the lobby. “My guess is they have Wade here. It’s their R&D labs. Most of this facility is for training newbies, the labs are the only place they’d have the kind of shit they need to hold Wade,” she explains. “Start there, Miles, and work your way up. When you find him, just free him. Wade will take care of the rest.”

“Are you sure?” Miles asks, uncertain. Wade could be injured, or sick.

“I’m sure,” Domino smiles, as if following his train of thought. “I know you’ve seen it, but his healing factor is like you wouldn’t believe. Kick a sword or a gun his way if you really want to do more, but other than that, just get the hell out of the way, okay?”

Okay.

He can do that, for sure.

“We still need to get in, though,” Cable grunts, pulling three pages back over to knock his fist against the diagram of the door.

It’s vibranium lined.

Of  _ course _ it’s vibranium.

It’s not that thick, and Miles tips his head back and forth, considering. The same movement Matt does when he’s trying to figure something out.

“I could probably break it down,” he offers. Cable looks him up and down, considering. Bucky glances his way, too.

“Better than trying to code our way in,” Domino muses. “There would be less opportunity for them to prepare for a fight.” Cable nods his agreement again and Bucky only shrugs. He, it seems, is just along for the ride.

“All right, kid breaks the door in,” Cable mutters, and Miles nearly glows. He’s helping. He’s contributing. Domino reaches over and ruffles his hair.

“If only we had more of you,” she teases, before turning back to the blueprints.

Miles sees her mouth move, but hears nothing else.

More of him.

_ More of him _ .

Fucking,  _ duh. _

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


He’s up and out the door with a hasty apology thrown over his shoulder. The adults think nothing of it- it’s still a school night, after all. They let him go without question, and Miles breaths hard as he sprints back to his dorm.

More of him.

There  _ are _ more of him. Just waiting there on the edges of the multiverse for his call.

There are more Spideys if he can reach them.

He has to reach them.

Ever since he was able to contact Peter B, he’s been practicing. It’s hard, sometimes, to reach out to another Spidey. They have to hear you, they have to feel you reaching out to establish the connection. And after that, there was overcoming the fear of never being able to return home. But he’d been practicing. Mostly with Gwen and B, but he’d practiced with the others, too. It was much easier to return home than it was to hop verses. It was like your cells  _ wanted _ to go home. Even if there was no one to reach out to, your cells belonged in that verse, and they would do anything to get back there.

Once he’s changed into the suit, Miles scrambles onto the roof of Visions Academy and closes his eyes.

The question of ‘Who first?’ is never really a question.

Peter B is always first, because he was Miles's Peter. He was the Spidey to ask questions of, who knew everything and had run every marathon. New enemy? Ask Peter about them. Weird new mutation? Ask Peter.

He took these questions with a lot of griping and exasperated sighs, but he answered them. He always answered their calls.

It’s easy to bring his face to mind. Shadowy stubble, soft brown hair streaked with gray. That big weird khaki jacket he liked to wear even still.

The bubbles pop and warm in front of Miles's closed eyelids. He can feel the heat of the window and see the colors dancing even behind closed eyes. When he opens his them, B is there, chin in his hand and MJ leaning over his shoulder behind him.

“Hey, kid.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


For time’s sake, B helps him reach out to the others. Miles calls Gwen, who reaches back out immediately. She doesn’t seem to have any trouble contacting any of them or hopping back into her own verse. Miles wonders if it’s because she’s been doing it longer, or if it’s just something special with her mutation.

Finally, he has them all arranged around him.

Ham, Noir, Peni, Gwen, and B wait patiently while Miles explains what’s happening.

“... so they took him, and right now the plan is to break into the facility and get him out. They tried to stop me from going, but I  _ need _ to help and DD is just a little too normal for this kind of thing. I can break down the door, but it’s a big facility. Can you help?”

He isn’t nervous, per se, but there is a little bubble of anxiety sitting at the top of his stomach. They might be busy, they might have their own problems to deal with. Gwen’s world, Miles knows, is much more enemy than friend right now, but she’s already smiling at him.

“You know I’ll help, Miles,” she assures with a nod, reaching through the window to grasp his hand tightly.

“Thank you,” he breathes out, releasing a knot of tension he hadn’t realized was forming.

“You call and I’ll come, kiddo. I’ll be waiting for the signal,” Noir agrees, bobbing his head in a nod.

“It’ll be so nice to see everyone again! I mean- you know. In the flesh,” Peni agrees, throwing her hands up. It looks like she’s in her lab. He can see the Sp//der suit behind her.

“I might have to move some things around on the ol’ schedule, but I’m sure I can pencil ya in,” Ham drawls, flipping through a leather-bound notebook with blinding speed. Miles tries not to look too hard at his verse sometimes. It’s a lot.

“And you know I’ll be there, kiddo,” B finishes, offering Miles a perpetually tired smile. “You reach out to Gwen first- let her know right before it’s time. We’ll group up in her verse and wait for your word, okay?”

Miles swallows as he nods. “Thanks, guys. You don’t know what this means to me,” he replies, pulling his mask up. He hopes his gratitude can be read on his face. With the way they’re all smiling at him, he guesses they see it.

“We’re Spiders, too,” Peni smiles at him. “We know, Miles.”

And yeah.

They do.

Miles bids some of them a good night, some of them a good morning, based on what he can see behind them, and watches the windows as they shrink and disappear one by one. Gwen’s is last, and she gives him a thumbs up before tugging her mask over her face. He can just make out her form swinging over a building before her window closes, and he’s alone again.

He’s still scared, yes. He’s still worried about Wade. But they have a plan. And now, they have backup. Like, really  _ really _ good back up.

For the first time in a week, Miles sleeps comfortably.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry Matty, it's just not your bag. we're coming up on the big chapter soon! i hope you guys are enjoying it so far!
> 
> wahmenitu.tumblr.com


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky produces a top notch forgery of a permission slip that his parents sign without really looking at it.
> 
> Jefferson tells him to have fun and be safe.
> 
> His mom asks him not to pull any Spider-related activities on his trip.
> 
> He promises, and the lie feels like a pill he dry swallows, sticking in his throat and pinching his chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short chapter before the big shit, but I wanted to update!!

Miles gets another text giving him a time and date.

He prepares himself accordingly.

Or, to the best of his 15 year old ability.

Which means he freaks the fuck out.

He falls asleep in class, sways on his feet a little, and Visions takes notice. His physics teacher sends him back to his dorm, sends a message to his parents. Miles manages to talk his mom down from taking him to the doctor, promises he just feels a little under the weather and he’ll stay resting. He has a big field trip coming up, he doesn’t want to miss it.

Bucky produces a top notch forgery of a permission slip that his parents sign without really looking at it.

Jefferson tells him to have fun and be safe.

His mom asks him not to pull any Spider-related activities on his trip.

He promises, and the lie feels like a pill he dry swallows, sticking in his throat and pinching his chest.

On a Thursday afternoon, he arrives at Wade’s apartment building. Domino, Cable, and Bucky are already on the street below, loading up a van with big canvas bags. Miles has known Wade long enough at this point to just not ask. The less he knows about what’s in them, the better.

Domino and Cable rock-paper-scissors for who drives first. Bucky offers up his services and is immediately glared into submission. There’s another story there that Miles doesn’t ask about. He merely sets his little backpack with a change of clothes and his suit in the middle seat, climbs in, and waits.

It feels weird. Like maybe he should be remembering this moment. His first big mission with people outside of Team Red, but all he can think about is his next piece. He’s gonna make something for Wade, he’s already decided. Something big with bright colors and some of Wade’s favorite things, like Hello Kitty and Mexican food. There were tags and murals all over the city honoring vigilantes. Tons for Spiderman, both old and new. A few for Daredevil that Miles has described for Matt on occasion. Hella for the Avengers, but none for Deadpool. Miles doesn’t know if it’s a fear thing or a respect thing, but he knows Wade would love one. He’d take selfies in front of it and post it on his LinkedIn or something.

He’s got a few drafts in his notebook already, but as Cable pulls away from the curb Miles can only slide his headphones over his ears. The sketch isn’t right yet. He feels like it won’t be right until he knows Wade is safe and sound, back at home with them, where he belongs.

It’ll come to him then, Miles knows. He’ll figure it out then.

They’re like brothers to him, Miles realizes about two hours into the drive. Wade and Matt. He’s an only child, and he definitely doesn’t think of them like fathers. They’re like his weird, older brothers, though. They’ve more or less walked the path Miles is on and they’re reporting back, giving him tips to make it easier. Maybe once in a while cutting a bush out of the way for him.

And then there are the other Spideys.

Who are so different, but also the same. They know  _ exactly _ what he’s going through in any given moment. They know what he’s feeling, sometimes they know why he’s feeling it, but they don’t know the path ahead for him.

They’re two very different teams, but Miles is ready to defend either of them.

With his life.

B called it lucidity.

Matt called it a purpose. Matt said that the moment you realized that you were willing to risk your life defending others, there was no turning back. There were people you would die for, without hesitation. Normal people had relationships like that, too, but for people like them, there weren’t the boundaries of familial ties.

A mama on the street with her baby? Miles would die for her.

That junkie in the alley? Matt would die for him.

The Spideys would do the same.

Different verses, same stakes.

They hadn’t met, but Miles had a feeling they might get along. Maybe.

If Matt wasn’t so determined to make an enemy out of anyone he met. He had at least ten mortal enemies that Miles had heard named. Most of them, he found out, were civilians. One name, Marci Stahl, came up a lot.

Wade called her ‘Barbie’ and that was the only information Miles had about her.

Matt only described her as “ _ not _ Elle Woods.” Which was enough for Miles to be going on.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


They only stopped once on the ten hour trip to grab a bite and use the restroom. Miles had brought money, but Cable merely handed him a card and told him to grab an extra couple of bottles of water. So he did. When an assassin hands you his gold card and tells you to buy some water, you buy some fucking water.

By the time they pulled into the motel parking lot, it was two in the morning and he was fighting to stay awake.

Domino skipped out of the van to go check in, and Bucky’s hand shook Miles's shoulder gently. “Hey. We won’t hit it until tomorrow night, okay? We’ll get you in a room and you can get some sleep, okay?” He sounded unusually soft this late at night. Or maybe he was still dreaming. Miles nodded, or at least he hoped he did, before he crawled out of the van, accepting the key card Domino handed him with a mumbled thanks.

“Text me when you wake up, we’ll get some food,” she smiled, giving him a fond ruffle on his hair before nudging him gently in the direction of his room.

Miles can only blink blearily and put one foot in front of the other. The room is small but clean, and he just manages to kick his shoes off and shed his jacket before he’s twisting himself in the duvet.

Miles is asleep before his head hits the pillow.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Cable is not  _ only _ a human with a metal arm. Apparently he also has another superpower.

No matter where you are, how small the town you’re in, he will find a good ass meal.

Miles expected to load up on greasy cheeseburgers and fries before the big fight, but the table in Domino’s room looks almost like it’s been laid for Thanksgiving.

“Eat,” Cable instructs, before leaving the room to go get Bucky.

“At least nibble on something,” Domino coaxes when Miles continues to stare. “Get something on your stomach, it’s going to be a big night.”

Right.

He loads up a plate and sits down to listen when Domino begins reviewing their plan. It’s been adjusted to account for Miles's spider people, now, and she seems more confident when she lays it out.

Bucky’s got two big ass thermoses with him as he listens, sipping steadily from each and ignoring the steam that curls from the openings. Miles is starting to get nervous again, but before he can speak, Bucky’s grabbed a paper cup and poured from a thermos to the brim, pressing it into Miles's hands.

“Drink,” he orders.

So Miles drinks.

His nose wrinkles at the first sip. It’s not like it’s the first time he’s ever tried coffee, but usually for any caffeine boosts he prefers soda or an energy drink. But still, he drinks, because he knows the caffeine will help him focus. He sips through the rest of Domino’s break down. He sips until he’s tipping the cup back and left with only the dredges at the bottom of the cup.

There’s a moment where the four of them are looking at each other, back and forth and around and around, before Cable clears his throat.

“Time to go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fight time fight time fight time


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cable held up a hand to bring them to a slow stop at the crest of a hill. It reminded him of the Alchemex facility, surrounded by trees and boulders and nestled into a small valley below. It took a moment for him to realize that the three adults were looking at him expectantly.
> 
> Oh, right.
> 
> Gwen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> big fight big fight big fight
> 
> i hope I did okay with it lol

No one spoke on the drive to the facility.

There was nothing to say.

The only sound was the rumble of the dirt road beneath them and the soft clicks and latches as Domino and Bucky checked over their weapons. Cable drove in complete silence, and pine needles crunched under the tires as he pulled off to the side and killed the engine.

They would need to walk the rest of the way.

The Spidey sense zipped up and down Miles’s spine as they crept through the woods. Cable, Domino, and Bucky were entirely silent as they walked. A hunter’s tread. Miles was doing his best to copy them, but none of them seemed overly concerned whenever he stepped on a stick or a particularly crunchy patch of leaves. There were animals all over, Bucky had promised, a few snaps in the woods wasn’t going to blow their cover.

Cable held up a hand to bring them to a slow stop at the crest of a hill. It reminded him of the Alchemex facility, surrounded by trees and boulders and nestled into a small valley below. It took a moment for him to realize that the three adults were looking at him expectantly.

Oh, right.

Gwen.

It was easy to bring her to mind. Teal ballet slippers, eyebrow piercing. Slightly gappy front teeth. One of his best friends. He saw the window begin to glow and pop behind his closed eyes and felt the heat of the multiverse being torn open. When he opened his eyes, they were all there, waiting.

Cable hid his thoughts well, but Bucky and Domino were gaping openly. They’d seen a lot in their time and professions, but nothing quite prepared anyone for seeing the multiverse torn open in front of them.

He offered a hand to Peni first, helping her through the window while she beamed at him and tapped her watch. Miles didn’t even have time to ask where the Sp//der was, because she was already waving her wrist around. “My suit is in here- it’s so cool, Miles! I’ll show you later. Nanotech!” she promised in a whisper as she dropped to his side and backed away. Noir hopped through second with Ham on his shoulders. He brought a hand up, tipping his hat to the assassins in greeting.

Domino raised a hand in what could have passed for a wave. Bucky didn’t move at all, cat-like eyes locked on Ham. Miles hoped he didn’t start offering up a sacrifice or something.

“Pleasure,” Noir nodded, before he too cleared the way for B to clamber through. Gwen was last, hopping neatly through the portal that sealed up behind her, and as one all of the Spideys dropped into a crouch, creeping towards the crop of rocks they were all hunkered behind.

“That the only entrance?” B asked, and Cable grunted his affirmation. Nothing fucking threw this guy. Seriously. Domino shook out of her trance first, rolling her shoulders and kneeling on B’s other side.

“Might be a couple of side doors, but nothing we need to concern ourselves with. Can you take the doors down?” she asked softly.

“They’re pretty big,” B mused, tapping a finger against his chin in thought. “Noir, I think you and I can take ‘em down if we get a good start.”

“Miles and I can give you a boost,” Gwen agreed.

“Me, too,” Peni agreed, patting at her watch.

“Sounds good. Lay the rest on us, head honcho,” Ham spoke with a slap to Cable’s leg.

He looked down at Ham with mild distaste, before he heaved a sigh and dropped into a crouch with the rest of them. Domino and Bucky, who finally seemed to get over his obsession, flanked either side of him.

Cable broke it down easy.

“Fine. You two big fuckers break down the doors, then clear outta the way. Y’all are adults, I trust you know what the hell you’re doing. We’re keeping the fighting contained. Trying to keep as much focus on us while the kid goes to find Wade,” Cable paused with a thumb in Miles’ direction.

“I’ll go with you,” Gwen decided, touching Miles’s shoulder and he nodded. It was comforting to have back up.

“You two,” Cable turned his attention to Peni and Hami, “are on perimeter. You bring back any strays, keep the bulk of the fighting with us and keep the way clear for those two. Chain of command is as follows. Me, then Dom, then Barnes. How old are you?” he directed his last question to B, who snorted quietly.

“Ancient,” he replied without missing a beat.

“All right. Then his orders trump ours for the Spideys only. He tells you to scram, you fuckin’ do it. No questions. Got it?”

There was the low murmur of agreement around the circle, and Cable sniffed, before standing. “Then let’s move.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


The Sp//der unfolded in near silence around Peni, and she hopped lightly over the outcropping to hunker down and wait. Miles and Gwen crept further forwards, spread out with ten feet between them, before settling in to wait, as well.

B and Noir dug their toes into the dirt and paused. Inhumanly still. Predators.

Cable raised a hand in signal.

They shot forwards.

They ran parallel to each other, sprinting forwards at the same time. The minute their boots hit the shell of the Sp//der, Peni stood up, throwing both of them forwards and into the air. Miles heard the  _ thwip _ of the web as B threw his out and Miles caught the strand. He could see Gwen mirroring his movements, catching Noir’s strand as Miles took off, the web going taught.

Halfway to the door, they put their back into it.

Miles heaved the web over his shoulder, watching B and Noir hurtle at the door. At the last second, they twisted.

Their heels hit the double doors as one, and it crumpled like aluminum foil.

They were in.

Weapon X was caught off guard. Totally surprised. There was not one, but  _ two _ Spidermen standing in the doorway of their facility, and neither of them were the Spiderman they were familiar with.

B and Noir were  _ not _ surprised and wasted no time in hurling themselves at the walls. Bucky and Cable came in shooting.

Miles had weighed the merits of arguing with them about fatalities, but where Wade was more willing to corral himself in around Miles and Matt, Cable had no such loyalty. Wade was his teammate, not Miles, and while there was mutual respect between them, he wasn’t going to change his ways.

Miles barely knew Bucky as it was, and had no reason to ask him to keep the killing to a minimum.

The scene was instant chaos.

Chairs and tables were thrown and overturned to act as shields. B and Noir rocketed from one side to the other, slinging web low and pulling down crates and boxes all around the ‘employees’ to slow them down. Miles and Gwen could only jump to the ceiling and scuttle their way across the room to the door on the other side.

“We’re starting at the basement and moving up,” Miles called over the shouts and gunfire below. Gwen gave him a thumbs up, and they were off, tearing around corners and down hallways to the stair access.

They met little resistance along the way. Miles hoped it was because their plan was working, that most of those in the facility were rushing to the ground floor to help in the fight. He knew when Ham joined in because, even three floors down, he could hear the comical noises of mallets hitting bodies and the whistle of heavy things being dropped from above.

Again, sometimes thinking about Ham’s verse was too much.

“Hey, what does DP look like?” Gwen asked as she threw open a door for a glance inside.

Wait, seriously?

“Yeah, I’ve only heard about him in my verse. Never met him,” she explained as she threw open another. A herd of scientists stared back at them in reply, and Miles reached past Gwen to yank the door closed. He snapped the knob off and sprayed web over it for good measure, before he grabbed Gwen’s wrist to haul her off.

“Uh- well. He’s big. Like- huge. Like bigger than B huge. Muscled. Scarred to hell if he’s not in the suit. Suit’s red and black if he is in it,” he explained as they ran. The skidded to a halt at a screech of metal. Probably Peni tearing a wall free or something.

Hopefully.

“Okay. Big dude. Got it,” Gwen drawled. He did not have time for this, Gwendolyn. He did not have time for sarcasm. Deadpool could be anywhere in this facility. The longer they took to find him the worse it would be for the others upstairs-

“Come back here and say that to my face, motherfucker. Yeah, that’s what I thought!”

Well then.

Hello, Deadpool.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


The door was locked when Miles tried the knob. He didn’t even have time to sigh before Gwen drop-kicked it open hard enough for the door to crash against the wall, swinging nearly off its hinges.

On the other side was another scientist, syringe held above his head. He was frozen, as was Wade, who looked like hell. Like, more than usual.

Par for the course, while Miles tried to think, Gwen acted.

The syringe was torn from the scientist’s hand with a ball of webbing as Gwen launched herself across the room. She was a special Spidey to watch fight, sometimes. Everything she did was graceful, each movement connected seamlessly with the next. Even Wade looked impressed when she had the scientist on the ground with a knee on his throat, fist above his head.

“You need him for anything?” she asked Wade, almost conversationally.

“Nah,” Wade replied without missing a beat, and she brought her fist down, knocking him out without a second glance. “What the hell are you doing here, Miles?”

“Rescuing you,” Miles replied as he edged around the unconscious man on the ground, studying the cuffs around Wade’s wrists from behind. They looked normal, but something was definitely up with them. The Spidey sense was buzzing at the base of his skull in warning. There was movement in his peripheral vision. Gwen crouching beside him to study the cuffs.

“Hey- don’t touch them,” Wade spoke, sharp and serious. “Go get Cable- or Domino, I guess- don’t touch ‘em.”

Yeah, no. They didn’t have that kind of time and Miles was pretty sure both parties requested were well occupied.

“I’m serious, Spidey, don’t-”

But Miles had already reached out, got his hands around the metal.

They were hot.

Searing, burning hot. Wade’s healing factor was keeping them from totally destroying his wrists. They were meant to cause pain. Only pain.

Gwen hissed when she touched them, before she rolled back to her feet. “Wait here,” she spoke, stepping away.

“I’m sorry,” Miles blurted the moment Gwen was gone. “Wade, I’m sorry- I should have looked for you sooner. I should have said something. Or called you, or-”

“Don’t, Miles,” Wade interrupted, low and serious. “This shit is not your world and not your problem. This is the stuff I get involved in and try to keep you out of… I fucked up. I didn’t check into the job like I normally do. This has nothing to do with you.”

And maybe it didn’t.

But it didn’t stop him from feeling guilty.

Wade heaved a sigh. “This isn’t the first time this has happened and this isn’t gonna be the last, kiddo. If I could keep you away from it, I would. But you’re in the shit now, kid. It won’t always be like this. Sometimes it’ll be worse. Sometimes, you might not be able to do anything. I ain’t your dad. I can’t tell you what to do. But think about it-”

Miles had already thought about it. He’d been thinking about it since he’d watched Peter Parker die. He’d been thinking about it since he’d fought Kingpin the first time. He’d been thinking about it since he met Matt and Wade.

He’d already been thinking about it.

He still thought about it.

But there had never been a choice for him.

There was never a ‘not help people’ option.

He didn’t work like that. He hadn’t been raised like that.

Gwen returned with four towels. Miles took two, and covered his hands with them.

Miles had made his choice when he’d made his leap.

The cuffs burned through the fabric and the acrid smell nearly made him gag. But he pulled, and Gwen pulled, and the metal groaned under their combined strength before snapping free.

“You’re my friend,” he told Wade, pushing himself to his feet. “I could never leave you behind.”

Wade rolled his shoulders as he stood. The skin was already knitting itself back together at his wrists. “Miles,” he began. “I mean this in the nicest possible way… get scarce, baby boy.”

Miles’s grin felt like a grimace.

  
  
  
  
  
  


Miles had seen Matt angry before. It bubbled under his skin and frothed out in bursts. At these times Miles tended to just follow from a distance and keep the lower level idiots from facing the full force of the Devil.

Miles  _ thought _ he had seen Wade angry before, too.

But he was realizing now that this was false.

He’d maybe seen him annoyed. Frustrated. Maybe impatient.

Angry, though?

This was something else entirely. It was terrifying. The Spidey sense was a physical flinch when Wade stood from his chair and kicked the unconscious scientist out of his way. Miles was pretty sure he heard a couple of ribs cracked. Gwen executed a full body shiver beside him and dropped into a crouch.

“Come on, we gotta follow him,” Miles elbowed her gently. Gwen looked at him like he was crazy. And maybe he was. But he still thought Wade wouldn’t hurt him. Probably.

Wade crashed through the hallway with single-minded determination. No one stood a fucking chance. It was all Miles and Gwen could do to keep up, stepping over unconscious men and women. Some, Miles could tell, were only playing dead. They were the smart ones. They were lucky that Wade wasn’t stopping to check.

When Wade appeared in the doorway of the main room, it was essentially over. Not all of the Weapon X employees seemed to understand this, but Peter B sure as hell did.

He took one look in Wade’s direction and threw himself to the ceiling. “All y’all Spideys bail the fuck out. NOW.”

No one argued.

B and Noir flanked the broken front door, ushering them out one after the other. Peni first, then Ham. Gwen. Miles hesitated at the threshold and B took his arm.

“Do you trust me, kid?”

That wasn’t even a question.

He ducked out and B and Noir covered their retreat. Miles glanced back, only once, and he could see the hulking shadow of Bucky Barnes standing at the door, preventing them from being followed. Miles wondered what it was like to command that much power with just your presence.

He heard a manic cackle from within the facility and banished the thought entirely. He hoped people never looked at him in fear the same way they looked at Wade or Cable.

“Take ‘em home, Gwen, will ya?” B asked, before he hunkered down next to Miles. “You cold?”

He was shivering, he realized.

But no, he wasn’t cold.

B tucked a long arm around Miles anyways, sighing as Gwen opened a window back to her verse and the other Spideys slipped through. Miles would thank them later. He wished he had the energy to convey his gratitude now, but suddenly the thought of facing them was unthinkable. “I have a Wade,” B offered after a beat of silence.

Yeah? And?

“And he’s a lot like that… he’s scary, Miles. He runs in a different world than we do. But he’s your friend… it may not feel like it right now, but he is. I’ve known Deadpool for a long time, and one thing you gotta know is that he doesn’t do anything he doesn’t want to do. I know what it must feel like sometimes. That’s he’s just entertaining you because he feels bad, or because he thinks he owes it to your Peter. But Wade doesn’t work like that. If he wanted you to fuck off, he’d tell you.”

Did he know that for sure, though?

“I do,” B replied. “You’re just gonna have to take my word on this one, kiddo.”

Miles squirmed in closer, pressing himself to B’s side. The Spidey sense hummed and dulled at the back of his mind, comforted in the presence of another Spider. Together, they settled in to wait.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


It was another twenty minutes before the facility went up.

Miles could feel the heat of it through his mask, almost like opening the window to another verse, but not quite. He didn’t have time to worry, because he could already see four shapes emerging from the fire. Two tall and broad, one slightly shorter, and the feminine shape of Domino.

“You want me to stick around?” B offered as he and Miles stood in the same motion.

“No, that’s okay. I’ll talk to you later, though?”

“For sure, kid. I’ll feel for the call,” B promised as he turned. Miles felt the heat of the multiverse against his back but didn’t turn as B stepped through his window and headed home. He was too focused on the approach of the others. Wade was still in the scrubs of the facility, holding his swords over his shoulder. Cable had a few notebooks tucked under his arm, and aside from looking a little singed around the edges, all four appeared to be unharmed.

Best of the best.

“You okay, kid?” Cable asked first, but all four adults were looking at him expectantly, waiting for his answer.

“All good,” Miles promised, spreading his arms wide as if to prove it. Not a scratch on him. For once, things had gone off without a hitch.

It was probably because Domino was with them.

“We ready to get the fuck outta here?” Bucky asked next, hands on his hips.

“God,  _ please. _ I am dying for a fuckin' bearclaw or something. Donut. Maybe one of them turnovers,” Wade drawled, rolling his head from one shoulder to the other. So he was feeling better.

“Let’s go home,” Domino smiled, stepping past Miles to lead the way back to the waiting van.

Home.

They were going home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> one more wrap up chapter and then this story is done! thank you everyone who has commented and enjoyed so far and thank you especially to the Team Red discord who listened to my ramblings and helped read things through when I was a little iffy about how things were going.
> 
> wahmenitu.tumblr.com


	7. an understanding (or a blood pact)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it is done.

The thing about being a vigilante was that there was no handbook.

There was no guide to mutations. No one to tell you when a weird ass new power was going to develop or when something you used to do every day of your life was never going to be the same again.

And no one had told Miles that after the action was over, it just… was.

There was no come down.

No meeting after to go over what could have gone better or things that could have gone worse.

Domino and Sergeant Barnes practically stuffed them all into the van and bolted. No need to wait around for reinforcements to show up. Miles was still buzzing with adrenaline and he was expected to sit quietly in the back of a van for a nice drive back.

He pressed his shoulder blades as deeply into the seat cushion behind him as he could, and started to count fibers on the ceiling.

  
They stopped once, briefly, at the motel to shuffle some things around. Domino ended up taking Wade another route home. Easier, she had said, but Miles couldn’t help but be disappointed. He wanted to check on Wade. He wanted to see if he was alright. If there was anything Miles could do for him. But just as he made the decision to step forwards and protest, he felt a heavy, metal hand on his shoulder.

“Give it a few days,” Sergeant Barnes advised, before jerking his head towards the van in an unspoken request.

Miles did not have a deathwish, so he obeyed.

His father was out on patrol when he returned home, and his mother was getting ready for work. She pressed a warm, dry kiss to his temple when he entered and promised to listen all about his field trip when she returned.

It felt like wading through water, the walk up to his room. His parents knew about Spiderman, but he doubted they realized the very real danger he had been in that weekend. He had been right to lie to them… hadn’t he?

He felt his chest constrict with the sudden guilt, the metal of his doorknob creaking under his palm as he swallowed hard and stepped into his room. Shit. He needed a good story for them. He needed to make it believable. He needed he needed he needed-

A sharp rap on his window jerked him from his thoughts. It took several seconds for him to process what he was seeing. Sergeant Barnes, wearing a ball cap in a truly disgusting shade of yellow was staring back at him through the glass, looking impatient. Very slowly, he raised his hand not clinging to the side of the house and rapped on the glass again, spurring Miles into action.

“Um, hi,” Miles offered as he dragged the window open and stepped back, allowing Bucky to clamber his way in. His shoulders were almost too broad for the frame, but he did a little sideways shimmy and made it through, standing from his crouch with a flourish as presented Miles with a brown paper bag.

“Souvenirs,” he offered by way of explanation, shaking the bag impatiently in Miles’s direction.

“Souvenirs?”

“Souvenirs,” he repeated firmly. “From some weird little oddity museum up north.”

“... thank you?”

“They’re for your parents, kid,” Bucky sighed, Miles’s spine straightening with understanding.

“Oh! Oh, thank you. I- yeah, that makes way more sense. Thanks, Sergeant-”

“Just Bucky is fine, kid,” Barnes offered, glancing methodically around Miles’s room. Cataloging, memorizing, or whatever people like him did. But he seemed to be warming up to something so Miles kept his mouth shut. It was one of the few things he had learned quickly in the vigilante world. If someone older and more experienced than you had something to say, fucking listen. They were still alive for a reason.

Barnes took a breath, before releasing it all at once, seeming to deflate. “Look, I’m no good at this, okay? Red’s on his way. Take a walk with him. He’ll explain,” he offered, dropping the same, big metal hand on Miles’s shoulder before stepping back towards the window. “And let me know if they like the presents,” he smirked.

A moment later, he’d ducked back out. How such a big man could disappear so effortlessly was a mystery to Miles, but he hadn’t known him very long yet. He hoped he’d have the chance to find out.

  
As promised, Matt arrived within the hour. He didn’t knock, because he could hear Miles nearly bouncing on his toes on the other side of the door. He merely tucked his hand into his pocket and waited as Miles shoved a sweatshirt over his head and nearly tripped down the stairs.

“Let’s walk,” was all Matt offered before he stepped off, cane rattling along the ground as he swept it back and forth.

Miles followed.

He kept pace beside Matt for several minutes, jutting his elbow out just slightly when Matt reached for it. It was breezy, and the wind tossed Matt’s normally neat hair back and forth. Miles wondered if he had come from the office or straight from court. He wondered if Matt had been waiting for him to get back, or if Barnes had reached out to Matt and asked him to speak with Miles.

He wondered if Matt had talked to Wade yet.

But the first thing he asked was the only question he knew would be answered honestly.

“When can I see him?”

Matt tipped his head one way and then the other. Contemplating.

“A few days,” he decided. The same as Bucky. “Wade will meet us when he’s ready.”

“Why can’t I see him now? I… I’m okay with him needing time. I am- I just… I want to understand why,” Miles looked up at Matt, who was slowing. They were nearing a park, and Miles guided Matt towards the bench without question.

“Wade has a lot of issues, Miles,” Matt began, in a tone that begged for patience. “We all do. You don’t choose this kind of lifestyle otherwise. But there are things about Wade that make him dangerous. Things that he’ll tell you about himself. One day. Not soon, but one day. And the organization that took him probably brought a lot of that back to the surface.”

And that.

Made sense.

Miles wasn’t stupid.

He knew he wasn’t stupid, but there were all different kinds of smart. And Miles hoped, at least, that he had enough compassion in him to understand why Wade needed that time. He needed to reset. He needed to bring his mind back to the safe place that his body was now in. And he needed Miles and Matt to give him that space because it needed to belong to Wade. It needed to be within his control.

Miles could wait.

“I get it,” he promised Matt, because Matt was staring at a spot by Miles’ chin that meant he was waiting for verbal confirmation.

Matt cocked his head, a thoughtful hum leaving his mouth. “... I think you do,” he agreed, squeezing Miles’ arm with a smile.

  
Eight days, and Wade was there when Miles touched down on their normal meeting roof.

“My knight in shining armor,” Wade cried immediately, throwing himself at Miles’s feet. “Kiddo, you were so fuckin’ badass- holy shit. With the webs and the breaking things and the- you are coming along very nicely,” he cooed, his palms pressed to Miles’s cheeks, squishing gently.

Miles laughed and shoved him off. A tight knot in his chest was beginning to unfurl. Wade was back, and he was safe, and he was ridiculous. Wade was safe and things were going to go back to normal now. Matt was on his way, and things were going to be okay. As he thought, Wade's arms shot out. But Miles didn't flinch, because Wade was back and he was safe again. He was immediately caught in one of Wade's tight hugs, a big hand against the back of Miles's head, bringing him close and pressing his head into Wade's shoulder.

“Thanks for coming for me, kid,” Wade’s tone dropped into something much more serious. He was back and he was okay. And _Deadpool_ was standing on a roof _thanking Miles._ “And thanks for benching Red,” he added in a tone that Miles recognized more easily. It was dismissive. Wade was done talking about it. And that was okay, because Wade was okay.

Miles punched Wade’s shoulder as he released him. His cheeks hurt beneath his mask with the force of his grin. There might be a day where Wade _would_ tell him about it. There might not. And Miles was okay with that. Because what he needed to know, he already knew.

He knew that Wade understood that Miles would always come for him. So would Matt. Or Domino, or Cable, or all of them together plus a couple of friends lured in by cat-catching favors.

And Miles knew that Wade would always come for him.

They called it an “understanding” because Matt was allergic to any declarations of love or friendship.

Wade called it a blood pact and Matt said he was allergic to those, too. It was the Catholicism, he claimed.

Wade told Matt that he was allergic to anything fun and claimed that he was ready to Die On That Hill when someone screamed.

Matt's head snapped in that direction, and he was gone. Wade hurled himself after, unwilling to let a pesky issue like a mugging or assault get in the way of his Point.

Miles loped in an easy pace behind them, allowing himself for the first time since Wade had disappeared to just enjoy the moment.

He was here. He was safe. He had friends who would tear the world apart to save him. He had friends that he would tear the world apart to save.

Miles was here. He was safe. And he was part of Team Red.

(Or a blood pact. Wade would not let that go.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello everyone. i have been absolutely destroyed by life. long story short i got a new job and was super overwhelmed but unwilling to quit so any and all free time was spent laying on the floor or considering farming expenditures. luckily Stardew Valley fulfills that for me. i hope you enjoyed this story and i hope to get the brain back into some creative flows soon, but i just had to finally put this story to rest. i may come back and edit this last chapter, but i'm pretty happy with how it turned out. 
> 
> as always, please leave a comment, and you can always find me on tumblr.
> 
> wahmenitu.tumblr.com

**Author's Note:**

> expect the next chapter by next Sunday at the latest. probably sooner because I am impatient.
> 
> let me know how you liked it!
> 
> wahmenitu.tumblr.com


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